Submitted

Sat, May 17th 2014 04:45 pm

Schneiderman: New York has always been
a leader in combating plastic pollution, protecting its families and
environment

Attorney
General Eric T. Schneiderman has released a new report
prepared by his environmental protection bureau detailing the dangers
microbeads - tiny plastic beads that are included in many commercial cosmetic
products - pose to New York's waterways. The report, titled "Unseen Threat: How
Microbeads Harm New York Waters, Wildlife, Health And Environment," highlights
the need to pass the attorney general's Microbead-Free Waters Act, proposed
earlier this year. This bill would make New York the first in the nation to ban
the sale of products containing microbeads.

The A.G.
said New York waters are being polluted with microbeads: tiny plastic beads
produced for use as abrasives in cosmetics and personal care products. Across
the state, 19 tons of microbeads are washed down the drain each year and many
end up in New York's waters, where they remain for decades, acting as sponges
for toxic chemical pollutants. When consumed by fish and wildlife, microbeads
allow pollutants to enter the food chain.

The
report explains the scope of the problem and outlines potential solutions.

"New York
has always been at the forefront of national progress when it comes to
addressing the issue of plastic pollution," Schneiderman said. "We require plastic bag recycling in large
stores. We banned harmful chemicals in baby bottles and pacifiers. We are
expanding our bottle deposit law to include plastic water bottles. By passing
the Microbead-Free Waters Act, we will show that New York remains a leader in
protecting the health of our families and our environment."

"There is
no greater gift we can give the next generation than protection of our
waterways," said Higgins, a member of
the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force. "We see right here in Western
New York what the water means, not just as an environmental resource, but as a tool
for economic growth. From consumer and taxpayer issues to environmental
protection, I commend Attorney General Schneiderman for his leadership on
matters important to New Yorkers."

"I
commend Attorney General Schneiderman for his quick action on this important
issue," Poloncarzsaid.
"The Microbead-Free Waters Act will prevent tons of non-biodegradable plastic
from entering our water supply every year, polluting our greatest natural asset
and poisoning our legacy. I am proud to stand with the attorney general in
defending and protecting our environment and in calling for the passage of the
Microbead-Free Waters Act."

"Lake
Erie is one of Western New York's greatest resources for tourism, recreation,
and for healthy drinking water," Brown
said. "We need to make sure that microbeads, produced for use in
personal care products, don't further pollute our waters, causing harm to our
families and the environment. My administration is proud to join Attorney
General Schneiderman, along with several leading beauty product manufacturers,
in advocating for the passage of his Microbead-Free Waters Act to help improve
the overall quality of our waters."

Dyster, a board member of The Great Lakes - St.
Lawrence Cities Initiative,said,
"Once we became aware of this significant new pollution threat recently
uncovered in the Great Lakes, The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
took a strong stance that the flow of microbeads into our waters must stop. We
applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for spearheading this initiative, and we
look forward to working alongside him to ensure that the future of the Great
Lakes is microbead-free."

"With
Buffalo on its way to becoming a world-class waterfront city, we cannot allow
our future economic vibrancy to be held back by the threats posed by microbead
pollution," said Kennedy said.
"Protecting Lake Erie and our inland waterways like the Buffalo River and
Niagara River will remain critically important components of our collective
efforts to revitalize Buffalo and Western New York, and Attorney General
Schneiderman's Microbead-Free Waters Act will help advance this vision for a
protected environment and growing economy."

Ryan said, "The
research has shown that microbeads pose a huge danger to our waterways, especially
Lake Erie. I thank the attorney general for his efforts to ban microbeads, and
I am pleased that the Assembly took action recently to protect our lakes,
rivers and other vitally important waterways. The Microbead-Free Waters Act
implements common-sense reforms and continues New York state's commitment to
healthy waterways. It is my hope that we can see this bill signed into law by
the end of our legislative session."

"The
emerging threat of microbead pollution has the potential to undermine the
billions of dollars of public and private investment into our water-based
economies and negatively impact the progress of Great Lakes restoration," Jedlicka said. "The corporate
responsibility already demonstrated by several leading companies supports the
guiding principle of the legislation that safer alternative products to
microbeads are readily available. We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for
demonstrating New York state's proactive leadership on this issue in the Great
Lakes, and congratulate the NYS Assembly for passing this important legislation
that will directly benefit the health of our waterways."

"Beginning
in 2012, we began sampling the Great Lakes to more thoroughly understand the
scope of plastic pollution in freshwater systems," saidMason, associate professor of chemistry at
SUNY Fredonia. "Our results confirmed that high concentrations of
microbeads were collected in New York's water. I commend the attorney general
for taking action and introducing the Microbead-Free Waters Act, which will
help combat this serious problem."

Three
leading beauty product manufacturers - Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and
Colgate-Palmolive - have all recently committed to phase out the use of
microbeads in their products. Other companies, such as Burt's Bees, have never
used these plastics in their products. Consumers can determine if their beauty
or personal care products contain microbeads by checking the product ingredient
list for "polyethylene" or "polypropylene."

The
report indicates the most effective way to address this problem is at the
source - the consumer products that contain microbeads, as wastewater treatment
plants would require potentially costly upgrades to remove the microbeads from
the wastewater stream, and there is no effective means for cleaning up the microbeads
once they enter the waters. By prohibiting the sale of cosmetic or personal
care products containing microbeads in New York, Schneiderman's
first-in-the-nation Microbead-Free Waters Act will protect New York's fish and
wildlife, and help protect and enhance its water resources.

The bill
unanimously passed the Assembly May 5 and is currently being considered in the
Senate.